Detox Update

You know whats better than swinging back and forth in a hammock chair on a humid summer morning at the farm without makeup because the cows don't care what you look like?

Losing 12.4 pounds in a week!!!!

You guys, I am ecstatic.

Not only did I drop a significant amount of weight this past week, I had a few amazing things happen that I want to tell you about...

I went back to the farm and didn't ravage cupboards to find the Wheat Thins, nor did I have a cookie for dessert with my Dad after almost every meal. I did decide to indulge in 5 bites of the most beautiful apple pie and homemade cinnamon ice cream, but after 5 bites I was satisfied and I walked away. The next day I got right back on track. And the best part about all this? It wasn't even that hard because I wasn't having cravings for any of the bad stuff!

I wanted to wear a particular pair of black dress pants this week that at one point in my life were ridiculously tight on me. I got them out and put one leg in, the other leg in, pulled them up, buttoned the pants, and they fell back down. Did you hear me screaming? Because that's exactly what happened at that moment and I swear you could have heard me in China... I had to pinch myself to make sure it was real life.

I went to the store to find new black dress pants, in a smaller size, and while I was there I saw the most adorable maxi dress. They were out of my regular size so I almost didn't even try on the smaller size, but I thought what the heck, I'll give it a go....and it fit! And it looked awesome. I bought it, of course, and proceeded to wear it like a boss all weekend. My body is changing and it feels SO freaking good!!!!

They say you're not supposed to workout much during the detox, so I took it easy this week. I know I always tell you on this bliggity blog of mine that you can't outwork a poor diet. But, I am going to be very honest with you right now and tell you I didn't practice what I preached. Because I am an idiot. No other reason. But you guys, I don't remember the last time I took more rest days in a week than workout days and to have my body change as much as it did? Craziness. I am now truly a believer. Losing weight and getting healthy is 80% about what you put in your mouth and 20% about burning calories. Not the other way around, which was my mentality for years.

On Friday morning (this was 3 days into the detox) I got on the scale to check my progress and I distinctly remember looking down at the number on the scale and thinking to myself, "Is this real life?!?!?!" with my jaw on the ground. I got off the scale, then got back on to double check it wasn't lying...same number!! I hadn't seen a number that low on that scale since probably high school. High school. Amazing!

And the most awesome part this week? My trainers face and reaction when I stepped on the scale this morning and had a 12 pound loss. I'm not even going to try to describe it in words... It was priceless!

The amazing stuff is only beginning friends! :)

Detox

I told my co-worker yesterday that I was starting a detox today.

He quickly replied, "I didn't know you were addicted to anything?!?"

Why yes, witty co-worker, I am highly addicted to something.

That something, would be sugar.

And the scale would be a true testament of that.

Because the bitch hasn't budged.

Turns out when you deprive your body of things and don't eat balanced meals your blood sugar gets all out of wack and you stop burning fat and in my case I ended up eating more sugar, too! 

And the worst part?

You can kill yourself in the gym and run 9 miles on loose gravel but you're still not going to un-do what that pint of Ben and Jerry's did to your insides.

So, thanks to my friend Kim, today is the day I get back on track.

It is day 1 of detox which means a few things...

Today is day 1 of not feeling like my bloated show heifer back in 2002 when she ate too much hay. Poor Sally girl...that wasn't pretty.

It is also day 1 of getting my blood sugar back in check which means I'm going to have more energy and burn more fat! *Fist pump!*

And finally, today is day 1 of eating good clean foods, again.

For you curious minds this detox isn't anything crazy. I'm simply eating food (one ingredient foods) and very carefully watching my portion sizes. Yes that means I bought a food scale and now weigh everything that goes in my mouth.

I'm fully prepared to have a headache the size of Texas and Oklahoma combined for these first couple of days due to the lack of sugar and sodium my body has become accustomed to.

I'm also fully prepared to feel like the petite little pile of  dog poop I stepped on on my run this morning. Someone wasn't being a responsible dog owner............................

And I know that I will have little to no energy the first few days so I spent over 3 hours in the kitchen last night getting all my food prepped for the week so there will be no excuse to go off plan.

With all that being said, I'm excited to reset and refocus. 

Because I know as a result the scale will move and I'm going to feel healthy and fit again.

NYNM...Or Not?

I went into 2014 with a quest to become a "new me."

It sounded good.

You know?

So romantic...promising...fulfilling...hopeful.

It's June.

I've been at this almost six months.

I've managed to shed 35 pounds.

My body has shrunk allowing me to get rid of old baggy clothes and buy new fun ones.

I have muscle definition when I look at myself in the mirror.

I can cross my legs like a lady now.

And I walk with a little bit more pep in my step and confidence in my stride.

While I'm happy with the changes that have been happening, I have to ask myself, have I really changed who I am these last six months?

Am I a new person?

A different Michelle?

I had a moment yesterday where I was forced to think about the idea of a "new me."

And the more I thought about this, the more I just felt silly for thinking that in 2014 I could become her.

Because lets be real for a minute.

When I think about a "new Michelle" she is a healthy and fit person who can't wait for her next workout and can eat whatever she wants, whenever she wants it, and she will never, and I mean never gain a pound.

See why I said romantic...promising...fulfilling...hopeful???

Because when it comes down to it, six months into a mission to change myself, I am still struggling with the same things that I've struggled with my whole life.

I still love desserts.

Every. Single. One. Of. Them.

And I still sometimes can't make myself stop eating them. 

When I'm exhausted I still find myself wanting to throw in the towel and forget that I care about being healthy.

Sometimes when I'm so sore it hurts to move, I find myself pressing snooze too long and have to cut my workout short, or I miss it all together that morning.

Some days I go home from a stressful day of work and I just want to order a pizza and eat the whole thing. Then make cupcakes. And instead of eating one, eat three...or four.

I still drink beer.

I love working out, but there are times when I would rather give up my left arm to not have to drag myself to the gym.

I sometimes still find when I'm feeling overwhelmed, bored or sad (to name a few emotions) I want to eat anything and everything contained in the 4 walls of my kitchen so I can forget about those feelings, just for a little bit.

On the weekends, I still find myself wanting to eat everything. And by everything, I mean everything. If it has chocolate in it, I'll have double.

You see, I'm still the same girl I was six months ago. And six years ago. And sixteen years ago.

The last six months haven't changed who I am.

They've just forced me to dig deeper and push harder when I felt like I couldn't go anymore.

They've taught me that I don't need to drink at every social outing, because sometimes beer just isn't worth undoing the workout you did that morning.

They've made me realize that when I am overwhelmed with emotions and want to turn to food to numb the feelings, that making it through the day without turning to food is the best way to cope. Even if it is so, so, SO hard in that moment. And to have a few things in your arsenal to keep you busy for when it's so hard you could scream.

So, long story short, this new year has brought me a leaner more toned body, but I'm still a mess. 

And will probably always be a mess.

Because these things I struggle with are never going to go away.

They will always be there no matter how fit, healthy, skinny or toned I am.

But these last six months have been precious.

Why?

Because I've learned to have grace with myself and to love myself through these struggles. And when I have a bad day, or days, to pick up the pieces and put them back together to make tomorrow a better day.

Disclaimer: I am continually working on this and by no means have I mastered this skill. It is a day by day journey for me. One day at a time. One hour at a time. One minute at a time.

And that is all I could have ever hoped for in this new year. To love myself a little bit more, strive to do better and be better every day, and learn to be a little less messy.

Cheers to the next six months...six years...sixty years!

How To Burn 8,125 Calories In 5 Days

Remember that goal I had last week to burn at least 7,000 calories?

P.S. 7,000 calories = 2 pounds. 2 pounds is what I always strive to lose each week. I promise there is a method behind my madness!

And remember how I was an idiot and took not only Sunday but Monday off meaning that I had to accomplish this in 5 days?

Well I nailed it.

And by nailed it I mean I far surpassed my goal.

Curious how I did it?

Let me tell you what my week of workouts last week looked like!

Sunday: Rest.

Monday: Rest.

Tuesday: 5 am leg workout with my trainer, then 40 minutes on the step mill and 20 minutes on the elliptical. (1480 calories ... The step mill you guys, I'm not kidding when I say I'm glad I don't really know people that well at my gym. Because that thing is covered in my sweat when I'm done and I probably look like something terrifying when I get off that thing. WHEW!)

Wednesday: 6 am spinning class at my gym. Then after work I went back to the gym for a back and triceps workout followed by an hour of kickboxing. (Spinning class: 720 calories. Lifting and kickboxing: 1250 calories. I love punching and kicking the crap out of a bag!!!)

Thursday: 5 am shoulder workout with my trainer, then 30 minutes on the step mill. After work I went back to the gym for kickboxing class. (AM workout: 810 calories. PM workout: 635.)

Friday: 5:30 am bootcamp followed by a 2.5 mile run. (950 calories)

Saturday: 8 am (because I'm an adult now and I can never sleep in...annoying!) chest and bicep workout. It was too nice to stay in the gym so I headed outside for a run. I ran about a mile then found my favorite hill. And by favorite hill I mean this thing makes me want to die, but I know its good for me so I have learned to embrace her. Said hill is about a quarter of a mile long and steep! The picture doesn't even do it justice.

 
It is no secret that there is no better way to burn calories, get your heart rate up, and tone your butt and thighs simultaneously than when you run hills. And because I'm a gluten for punishment and was feeling like a badass at the moment I decided to run this hill 5 times. Yep, FIVE TIMES, guys.

 
My heart rate got as high as 187 at the top of the hill the 5th time, but I was too busy gasping for air/slightly dying that by the time I recovered a little bit to take a picture, by heart rate had already fallen a bit. 

The secret to hills (especially long ones like this one) is to stagger your intensity. I like to jog the first third of the hill, run the second third of the hill, sprint the top third of the hill, then walk for about 30-45 seconds at the top before jogging back down the hill. We called this fartlicking in cross country, and it's a good time!

I then ran another 2.5 miles.

Then mowed my lawn for an hour as a cool down.

Most would not consider mowing their lawn as a workout, however, most have a self propelled push mower. Me? Absolutely not. That would be too easy! :)

Result? 2279 calories.

 

#killedit.

 

You may be wondering why I spend so much time at the gym or why I make myself run up hills until I almost can't breathe.

 

Simply put: I love the way exercise makes me feel. I feel tighter, toned, muscular and like I could take on the world. The soreness afterwards makes me feel like I accomplished something great. It makes me happy. And the best part about exercise? I get to eat more than I would if I didn't workout. Because I really, really like food. More specifically? Good food. Like really good food. And really really good food is worth busting your ass for!!!!!

 

And on that note: I can't wait to tell you about one of my most favorite desserts. Which I indeed made and had on Saturday afternoon! :)

 

I'll give you a hint: it involved butter and sugar and more butter and a little more sugar and maybe a little rhubarb, too! YUM!!!!!

NYNM: Week ???

 

So, I've been MIA for a bit.

 

I know.

 

Life happened.

 

And my weight loss, well it really hasn't been happening.

 

You know where you hit that point where you are tired, sick of eating carrots, and annoyed that you aren't further than you actually are?

 

Yep.

 

That happened.

 

Don't worry, I'm not giving up.

 

I'm a hell of a lot smarter than that.

 

But I've been doing dumb things, like eating pancakes two days in a row. 

 

You know what happens when you do dumb things?

 

The scale doesn't go down.

 

Shocker, right? :)

 

So this week I am focusing on getting back on track.

 

My goals this week: 

 

- Burn 7000 calories. I was an idiot and took yesterday off...so stay tuned because I now have a shorter time frame to accomplish this...this will be fun! (My weeks start on Monday and go through Sunday night.)

 

- No cheats. It seems I've allowed myself countless days with a cheat here or a cheat there or a whole meal of sugar (aka pancakes!) so its time I buckle down and focus on feeding my body good foods to get back off the sugar train. It is becoming so glaringly apparent to me that my body doesn't like sugar. It makes me tired. It makes my joints hurt. And it just makes me feel crummy. So instead of looking at this goal as it is going to be complete torture, I'm looking at it like my body is going to like me when I go running again. Because I'm going to make smart choices.

 

- Sleep!!!! Holy cow I need sleep. My goal is to be in bed, and asleep, by 9 pm this week. I don't know why this has been so hard for me lately, but it's something I really have to re-focus on this week.

 

That is plenty for one week. My brain can only handle so much!

 

So, Michelle, you may ask. What HAVE you been doing besides slacking off??!?!

 

I've been on the farm!!!!

 

Playing with these cuties.

 

And snuggling these cuties!

 

And soaking up every minute of how absolutely precious my nieces are. LOOK AT HER BOOTS!!!!!!!! Gah!!!!

 

We even got a couple first timers on a horse!!!!!

 

My SIL was a champ!!!!! I think she's a natural! :)

 

We went on 4-wheeler rides and let the wind blow in our hair! :)

 

I love everything about this place. And while yes, the scale doesn't typically go down when I have long stays back at the farm, it's ok. Because in the end, life is all about balance. We need to have some fun and take time to enjoy the fine things in life instead of constantly obsessing about our diets or how many minutes of cardio we've done that day. Farming is good for my soul and I won't be sorry about it for a minute!

NYNM: Week 20

You know what happens when you eat too much birthday cake with a side of cream cheese frosting?

I'll give you two guesses but I bet you only need one. ;)

You gain weight.

2 pounds to be exact.

Writing was on the wall for that one.

I've felt like a pile of poop all week.

Sugar will do that to you, right?

That much sugar threw off my whole week, because guess what?

I craved more sugar.

And because I craved more sugar I made bad choices.

Everything was just off.

And I felt gross.

So the lesson to be learned here?

While I will always eat a ridiculously awesome cake with way too much cream cheese frosting all over it for my birthday, I don't have to make the "birthday hangover" if you will last for a week.

I need to eat my cake, then move on.

Not keep eating cake for 2 days after my birthday.

Because it is just not worth it.

It gave me a headache.

It made me feel gross.

My whole week has just been blah because of that damn cake.

This birthday hangover has overstayed its welcome.

But I do know one thing...

Cheers to a better week ahead!

NYNM: Week 18

 

 

They told me I had the knee of a 60 year old woman.

 

And that I wouldn't be able to run after August 7, 2013.

 

On April 19th I went for my first outdoor run since that day.

 

I was running into 40 mph winds and I was scared, but I took a deep breath and put one foot in front of the other.

 

Before I knew it I had gone 4 miles and I had way more gas in my tank, so I took another turn making it 5 miles.

 

I still felt great so I took one last turn.  

 

I made it 6 miles before I had flashbacks of my six weeks spent on crutches and decided to stop.

 

I ran 3 of those 6 miles pain free for the first time in 10 years.

 

I pray someday my knees will allow me to run as far as the rest of my body can so I don't have to stop.  

 

Because I could have gone forever.

 

You know those runners highs they talk about?

 

They exist.

 

Boy do they exist.

 

So today, I celebrate, even though this morning's weigh in wasn't anything to write a blog post about.

 

I celebrate overcoming obstacles.

 

I celebrate the fact that being a stubborn German comes in handy once in a while.

 

I celebrate losing a total of 31.2 pounds and 21 inches over the last 18 weeks.

 

I celebrate change!  

 

"Change starts with you, but it doesn't start until you do." -- Tom Ziglar

This quote really hit home with me today.

I'm ready to change things up this week so good things keep happening!

Are you?

 



NYNM: Week 17

Do you ever have those mornings where you are completely exhausted (tired, sore, etc) and you would give up your left arm to not have to get out of bed?

That was me this morning.

But I got up, 20 minutes later than I was supposed to....whoops, and did it anyway. I may or may not have rolled into work about 30 minutes late as a result...double whoops.

But it was worth it.

Because judging from how tired I am at this moment typing this blog post and that calorie burn, I'd say I did a pretty good job of kicking my own ass this morning.

I lost another 2 pounds this week and finally broke through the 30 pound milestone.

I've lost 31.4 pounds to date, and I'm excited.

I keep thinking about how far I've come in four months, and how excited I am to see where I am in another 4 months.

I also keep thinking about how expensive it's going to be to replace my entire wardrobe. :)

And speaking of making forward progress, with Easter weekend glaring at me in the face, it is important I don't lose sight of my goals.

There is bound to be sugar at every turn, so I am packing lots of veggies to take with me.

What is your plan?

Happy Easter, y'all!

NYNM: Week 16

I'm down 2.4 pounds this week bringing me to a total of 29.4 pounds lost so far.

So close but yet so far away! :)

I will get 30 next week if it kills me!

Until then, I'm easing up on the training for a couple days.

My body hurts, everywhere, and I need a couple days to let it recover before I hit it hard again.

I see some long walks outside enjoying this lovely spring weather in my future!

Then it's back in the gym.

I've got a birthday in T-22 days that is making me feel rather old.

But there are 3 more weigh-ins before that day, and there is a magic number I'd like to see on the scale which would make me not so depressed about welcoming my 27th year of life! ;)

Have a great weekend, friends!

Get outside and MOVE!!!!

NYNM: Week 15

Let me just start off by saying these posts are so much more fun to write when I weigh in and the scale goes down.

But I've committed to writing these posts, bad or good, so here it goes...

I gained .8 pounds this week.

Which is annoying.

My trainer looked through my journal of food and exercise after I got off the scale, he tells me I did everything right then says, "Next week will be better."

I think that made it even more annoying.

But such is life.

So until I weigh in again, I'm choosing to focus on the positives.

Some of my pants are starting to get to the point of embarassingly baggy and borderline falling off of me. (That means I can go shopping!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

I feel fantastic and have so much more energy than I once did. (This is going to come in handy when I do all that shopping, am I right??!?!)

The last few days I've caught myself staring at the reflection in the mirror, weather it be in the gym or getting ready in the morning, and thinking "Wow, you look good girl! Your chin is shrinking. Are you getting abs?! Look at my pipes!!!!" (I realize this is totally self absorbed of me, but its amazing when you can see your own body changing and you don't just hear it from other people.)

And I just looked at gap.com and its 50% off. Halejuiah, Jesus loves me! :)

Moral of the story?

I'm right where I need to be.

Things are happening even if the scale doesn't say they are.

And I'm going to keep on keepin' on.

Happy Friday, friends.

Make it a great week!

NYNM: Week 14

This past weekend I went on a little road trip to visit a few of my favorite people.

Aren't they adorable?

And I get to be related to them.

Lucky me, right? :)

In the past, road trips/vacations were a licence for me to eat poorly and not exercise.

Basically, they were an excuse for me to fall off the healthy train.

But not this time.

I remember thanking my cousin when I left for helping me to be the healthiest I've ever been on vacation.

And a I truly meant it.

I feel amazing - and I want to keep it that way!

I weighed in this morning with a certain degree of anxiety.

Getting to -20 pounds took forever.

It was up and down and up again and down a little and it was annoying.

And I thought of the boredom eating I did on the trip home, and how I didn't work out as much has I would have liked last week, and I was less than excited to step on that scale this morning.

But because a big black man made me, I stepped on the scale.

Then the scale blinked the magic number.

I opened one eye.

Then the other.

I lost another 2 pounds this week!!!

 

I wanted to do this, but then I remembered there was no trampoline under me.

 

Thank god my brain was firing on a few cylinders at 5 am!

 

I was ecstatic.

 

I'm down a total of 27.8 pounds!!!!

 

And it feels so so soooooooo good!

NYNM: Week 13

I'm going on vacation this weekend.

It's going to be like a 3 day vacation, but it's still a vacation and after the last few months I'm pretty excited about that thought.

I'm going on said vacation with two of my besties, who I happen to be related to as well.

We've got that whole, "you're my cousin and kinda my best friend, too" thing happening.

It's really quite awesome.

Anyway, I thought to myself when I started planning this trip that it would be so fun if I could lose 25 pounds before I left.

Well guess what?

I did it!

25.8 to be exact.

I know. I'm such an overachiever, right? :)

Anyways, I'm proud to say I'm leaving for "spring break" if you will, 25.8 pounds lighter and 20 inches smaller.

Yes, you read that right, 20 INCHES!!!!!

Eeeeek!

Good things are happening, and I couldn't be more excited.

Happy first day of spring, friends.

I hope you make it wonderful!

NYNM: Week 12

Have you guys heard the new Pharrell song Happy?

I feel like it's the only thing that can describe my mood in words right now.

I'm happy.

I want to clap my hands.

And dance like no one is watching.

Maybe it's all these endorphins.

Or maybe it's because I'm down another 2.6 pounds this week.

Or maybe it's because its 73 degrees outside today and spring is in the air.

Or maybe it's because I'm wearing a skirt and cowboy boots which makes me feel like a sassy strong woman.

Or MAYBE it's because my trainer said the words, "Keep up the good work" when I was done with him this morning. And he NEVER says good job. I mean, I've known the man 3 months and he's only said those words to me once.

Whatever it may be, I'm down a total of 23.4 pounds as of this morning and I'm happy.

I hope you find your happy today, too.

NYNM: Week 11

This is the face of a girl who is 20.8 pounds lighter.

So excited.

So much so, I don't even really have anything to share with you this week.

I'm blaming it on my sore muscles.

I've started lifting 4 days per week as opposed to 2-3.

I'm sore...everywhere.

Like really sore.

And I'm going to be so bold as to blame it a little on this Iowa weather, too.

Can we be all done with it, please?

I just want to wear my flippy floppies.

And a sundress.

And sit on a patio drinking a giant beer from a mason jar.

So for my lack of words/inspiration to share with you today, I'm going to encourage you to read this blog post. It's insightful if nothing else. And I think there is a lot of truth to it. Check it out!

Happy Friday Eve, friends. Make it a great week!

NYNM: Week 10

.6

When I stepped on the scale this morning knowing had 1.2 pounds to go before I hit the -20 mark, and the scale only went down .6 pounds, you could imagine my disappointment.

Especially because my trainer had complimented me earlier in the week about how good my nutrition was looking.

Which was the first time in the 10 weeks I've known him he's done that.

And because my house currently wreaks of fish.

So gross.

And because the compliments have been coming at me at a rapid pace.

Now let me be very clear here, I'm not complaining about the compliments!!!

I want to throw confetti, go set off fireworks, and not so much hug but rather smother each and every person who is so ridiculously kind to compliment me.

I don't, for obvious reasons, but I just really want to.

Beware.

It may happen someday.

And because I have spent too many hours at the gym to not lose more than .6 pounds in a week.

But this is real life and that is what happens when you're trying to lose weight.

Sometimes it is just downright disappointing.

You're going to have your good and bad weeks.

Because real life does not look like The Biggest Loser or Extreme Weight Loss like you see on TV.

Real life weight loss happens slow.

Painfully slow at times.

While I'm thankful the scale didn't go up (I really thought it might) my trainer suggested some adjustments to make for next week so I can finally hit the -20 pound mark.

I love fruit, and fruit is good, but fruit is sugar. And when you eat too much sugar your body can't use it all and it gets stored as fat. I'm eating too many fruits and need to only eat only 2 to at most 3 servings of fruit per day.

Timing of these fruits is important as well. I workout in the mornings (usually) so I need to eat most of these carbs before and after my workout so my body will use them. If I am eating them in the evenings they will more than likely get stored as fat.

I have also been drinking skim milk. Because I loooooooooooooove milk. My Mom was the Diary Queen of the state of Iowa back in the day (yep, you guessed it...tiara, sash, the whole get-up) so I gotta represent, ya know? But milk is also full of sugar. (DANG IT!!!) Sugar that needs to be drank in the morning as apposed to at dinner with a piece of chocolate. :)

Today I signed up for 12 more weeks with my trainer. He's good for me. He motivates me. He's helping me win. And as a result, I'm getting some serious biceps you guys. Like woah. Watch out for the gun show this summer.

One final thought for today.

Do you go to the gym?

Does your gym have one of these?

If so, get your butt on it and never look back.

Stop being scared of the dumb stair mill and just figure it out and do it.

Yes, I fell off of it the first time I tried it and it was embarrassing, but I lived and now I would fight someone for a spot on this thing I love it so much.

Moral of the story?

If you're frustrated and disappointed week after week from not getting results, try something scary.

Don't think, just do.

You cannot get results if you keep doing what you're doing, especially if what you're doing isn't working.

So try something scary this week, ok?

Who knows...you might just end up loving it! :)

"Are You Feeling OK?"

I'm in the middle of doing my second set of pull ups this morning (my favorite exercise on shoulder and back day, hands down) and my trainer says to me, "Are you feeling OK?"

I stop out of breath and say, "Yes, why? Do I not look OK?" Thinking that I maybe looked pale and like I might faint, because like I said pull ups are my FAVORITE.

I figured it must have been all that pre-workout shoveling for fitness I did at 4:30 am with a -6 degree windchill.

Is anyone else over this winter?

I swear I'm suffering from seasonal depression.

And it hasn't even snowed that much.

Mama just needs some vitamin D already.

#ImSoPaleICouldCry

He then says to me, "Your food journal. You didn't...you....you didn't drink liquid calories and you only ate like two cookies."

I start laughing and say to him, "Is that some sort of weird way of telling me good job?"

He then starts laughing and says to me, "Keep it up girl!"

I'm going to chalk that one up to him telling me "good job" and put it in my pocket for safe keeping.

He doesn't throw those around...like ever.

I'm sure I'll be savoring that one for a loooong time.

In other news, guess what came in the mail yesterday?

My fitbit flex is here!

And guess who managed to get 10,000 steps before noon today?

If you guessed me, give yourself a high five, because you're awesome.

If you didn't guess me, give yourself a high five anyway, because you're still awesome.

Anywho I'm pretty pumped about my new fitbit.

Just another little motivator to keep me movin' so I can keep loosin'! :)

And in other other news, I've decided I need to challenge myself to try new things.

Like vegetables. I've never been a huge fan.

But one can change their taste buds if they reallllllly want to.

Carrots used to make me vomit.

Today, I eat them plain and actually somewhat enjoy them!

So I've decided to challenge myself to trying one new vegetable per week.

This week I decided to try butternut squash, and .....

 

.... it was delicious!

 

Up next....brussels sprouts.

 

I'm scared!!!!

NYNM: Week 9

My body hurts.

Like, everywhere.

I think I spent at least 14 hours at the gym last week.

And after that statistic, I'm pretty confident telling you I spent considerably more hours at the gym than waking hours in my own house last week.

#youmightbeagymratwhen ... :)

However, I'm coming to the conclusion that there is no better feeling than stepping on the scale at your 5 am Thursday weigh-in with your trainer and seeing the time you put in along with the decision to limit your intake of Valentines Day cookies despite how you felt about the holiday was all worth it.

Well worth it.

This was my face this morning when I weighed-in with him.

Sans makeup.

No one looks good at 5 am and I'm not going to be the one starting the trend.

Mama loves her sleep!!!!

So why the face?

I lost 2.6 pounds this week, bringing me to 18.8 total in 9 weeks.

I may or may not have had a considerable amount of Valentines Day cookies.

Frosting is my love language.

I can't help it.

So, I didn't get to -20 this week (next week it's happening!!!) but I'm still so proud of myself.

Success feels amazing.

Can I get an Amen???

But success that you worked your butt off for?

Out of this world great!!!!

So what am I learning?

That I can give up peanut butter and not go insane....hallelujah!

That stepping on the scale and seeing results > drinking alcohol at a social event. Water for me please! :)

That one piece of dark chocolate at the end of each day with a glass of skim milk is my thang. And I'm not going to be sorry for it.

That lifting is important, but cardio is my friend. Cardio burns calories. Cardio makes me sweat. And cardio makes the scale move lower and Michelle shrink! Love to love me some cardio!!! :)

And that rest is important. I need rest. It's ok to have a day where you don't do much of anything besides lay on your couch.

My trainer asked me this morning if I wanted to keep training with him because I only have 3 more weeks left with him.

He asked me this 40 minutes into a leg workout and while I was on my third set of lunges, so I managed to squeak out a "yes."

I'm well aware of the fact that I, on average, spend more money than the average human on 'working out.' 

But working out with him would be the epitome.

With that being said, working out with him has been one of the best investments I've ever made.

I'm learning. I'm being held accountable. And I'm ultimately winning at weight loss.

And that my friends, is #wortheverypenny.

Running...Pure Bliss?

6 months ago (plus or minus a few days) I took this picture before going to work.

That was me trying to be really happy about not being able to bend my knee. 

Today I ran for 15 minutes straight (after I had lifted, climbed 47 flights of stairs, and went 2.5 miles on the elliptical.)

While this may not seem like an accomplishment to some of you, I'm going to celebrate it.

Prior to surgery, I could run for miles.

It hurt my knee, but I loved it so much I didn't care.

I've tried running a time or two since surgery and it hurt a little.

And to be honest, I was scared.

Scared of hurting myself to the point of not being able to workout anymore.

But moreover, I was short of breath. And it was hard. A lot harder than it used to be.

It's amazing how quickly you get out of shape when you are bound to the couch with a bag of ice for weeks on end.

So I ultimately decided it wasn't worth it and have found other ways to burn calories in the meantime.

I put off going back to bootcamp until last month, mostly because I was scared of running.

And even when I did go back, I ran timidly, not pushing myself like I used to.

But today I decided to go for it.

I made it 1.26 miles in that 15 minutes.

I wasn't short of breath.

And it honestly wasn't that hard.

But most importantly, my knee didn't hate it.

It fact, it felt amazing.

While I was running I kept thinking about the doctors who told me that the impact on your knee when you run is 7 times your body weight.

I've lost almost 17 pounds since I had surgery.

That's 119 less pounds pounding down on my knees with each step I take.

Wow.

I then started thinking about what it would be like to run after I lost 20 or even 40 more pounds.

WOW.

I'm pretty confident I finished that 15 minute run grinning from ear to ear at the thought.

While I realize I should not approach running like I used to moving forward, and I've fully come to terms that my workouts can't look like they used to, I'm elated my knee let me get a little taste of that joy back today.

I also can't wait to feel what is it like to run as a 20 or 40 pound lighter version of myself.

I can only imagine it will be pure bliss.

Until then, I'm going to keep lifting and running and climbing and spinning to that dream to make it a reality.

NYNM: Week 8

 

I'm down another 3 pounds this week bringing me to 16.4 total!

We also took measurements this week, and I've lost 2 1/4 in the last month and 14 3/4 inches total.

To be honest with you, I was kinda bummed about the inches. I really thought I would lose more than that. My clothes are fitting so much better and I can just tell my body is changing. But my trainer reassured me that I'm doing well, and the second month is not going to be as drastic as the first. Moral of the story, I'm on the right track!

He also then showed me 2 1/4 inches on his tape measure and said this is how much less of you there is. That's a big deal! Be proud of that!

Then in the same breath he said, "This next month could be really great if you stop eating chocolate."

He's so kind. :)

I read a really good blog post yesterday. One that talked about how important it is for women to quit focusing on counting calories and limiting yourself to only cardio, but instead fuel your body with healthy foods and lift weights to get where you want to be.

So much truth in there (minus the expletives...sorry for that!)

So glad I'm becoming friends with the weight room.

So glad I've gotten myself away from calorie counting.

So glad I'm changing, slowly but surely, every day.

I'm getting stronger and faster and ultimately becoming a better version of myself.

Can't wait to see what 8 more weeks will do!

NYNM: Week 7

I set a goal last week.

Because it's good to have goals.

My goal?

To burn 7,000 calories.

7,000 calories = 2 pounds.

AND I DID IT!!!

Holy moley, I did it.

And oh my goodness is my body sore.

But it's SO worth it!!!

Through this process I'm continually amazed at the things I couldn't do just a few weeks ago and now I'm doing them with ease.

For example, this morning I was doing push ups on a medicine ball like it was my job. And not just a few of them, like hundreds of them. And from my feet, not my knees. And I was parallel to the floor, and my butt was NOT up in the air. This my friends, is amazing!!!

I'm getting stronger, and it feels great!

This week I lost 2.8 pounds, which means I have lost a total of 13.4!

And I haven't eaten peanut butter for over a week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I'm still alive!!!!!

I did drink a diet soda this week (something I never do.) I know how bad pop is for you, and I don't love it, so I just stay away from it.

But I was craving something sweet so instead of going for the chocolate bucket (yes that exists) at work I went for a diet cherry coke, thinking no harm no foul.

Boy was I wrong!

My trainer went on for at least 20 minutes about why diet pop (and any carbonated beverage) is about the worst thing you could grab when you're trying to lose weight.

Because he was in the process of slowly killing me while he was rattling off all of this information I only caught about 3/4 of what he was telling me, so instead of trying to remember his lecture, I'm going to recommend if you're a 'carbonated beverage person' you can read more here.  Or just stop drinking it. :)

We are six weeks in to a new year, how are you coming on your fitness goals? I'd love to hear from you!